Crossroads United Methodist Church - Lansing, KS

06/14/2026

06/12/2026

Weekly Devotion What kind of cup do we bring? 6-11-2026

Last Sunday we had Holy Communion. As Methodists, this is something we do every first Sunday of each month. For me, it is one of my highlights in worship. I like the song: Fill my cup, Lord; I lift it up, Lord; Come and quench this thirsting of my soul. Bread of Heaven, feed me till I want no more. Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole. (UMH 641)

As I take Holy Communion, I ask myself, What kind of cup do we bring?
1. Full cup
Some people bring full cups. When a cup is full, there is nothing that can be added into it because it is already full. Spiritually, when I think I am self-sufficient or I feel like I don’t need anything more than what I have, it means my cup is full. It’s hard for God to add anything more. When our heart is loaded with negative things, then it is hard to get something positive. That is why sometimes we may not get anything out of worship, Sunday school, Bible study or a fellowship. We leave disappointed because we came when we were already full.



2. Partially filled cup

Some people bring a partially filled cup. I remember when our son was little. One day he gave me his bottle to fill with milk. Without looking inside, I poured the milk into it only to realize that it was partially filled with apple juice. The juice mixed with the milk did not taste good.
Sometimes we have come to the Lord with our cups partially filled with other things like bitterness, hatred, doubts, worries, etc. That will not work well with the gifts that our Lord is pouring into our hearts. Before the Lord can fill our cups, we need to empty them.



Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 5:23-24, “When you are offering your gift at the alter, if you remember that your brother or your sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the alter and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister…”



3. Empty Cup
Some people bring empty cups. That is good because it makes us realize the need for God’s Grace. We realize our dependence upon God. We realize our spiritual poverty. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” ~Matthew 5:3



Christ invites us to come to him as we are, but when we come, we will need to empty our cups so that he can fill them with good things. When we open our hands to receive the Communion elements, we are symbolically asking the Lord to fill us with his grace and his presence.



This week let us look deeply into our hearts and ask ourselves what kind of cups we bring to be filled. Jesus is ready to fill our cups with all good things like love, peace, grace, joy, comfort, faith, etc.



3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled. ~Matthew 5: 3-6



Pastor Harun

05/03/2026

But now, thus says the Lord, who created you,…“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name; You are Mine (Isaiah 43:1).

It was the Friday before a holiday weekend. The line at the bank was long as people hurried to withdraw money. The cashier reminded everyone that the ATM was working and could save time. Some stepped out of line to use it, but one woman refused to go to ATM. She said, “ATM don’t ask me about my arthritis. It doesn’t know my name. All it asks is my PIN number” That comment reminds us that we live in a world surrounded by numbers. We have accounts, pin, social security, licenses, numbers and many more. While numbers are good, they are also impersonal. There is something deeply meaningful about being known by name.

God through the risen Christ knows you by name. God says, “Do not fear… I have called you by name, you are mine.” To be called by name is to be known personally, intimately, and lovingly. When God says “you are mine,” it is about relationship and care.

And this truth becomes even more powerful during this easter season. When Mary stood outside the tomb weeping and thought she was speaking to a gardener, Jesus called her by name “Mary” She recognized him as Jesus. That same voice speaks to us today. Jesus knows what you are going through. He knows even our “Arthritis” In God’s Kingdom you are not just a number. You are known. You are seen. You are called.

Jesus calls you by name in your joy and in your sorrow. He calls you by name when your faith is strong and when it is weak. He reminds you, “You are mine” So this week, walk with that assurance. The risen Christ knows you personally and walks with you. “I have called you by name, you are mine.”

I wish you a very blessed week filled with God’s grace.

Pastor Harun

04/17/2026

Weekly Devotion “Christ Jesus lives today! 4-16-2026

“Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen!



We are still in Easter season. I like the song, “He lives, he lives, Christ Jesus lives today!” (UMH 310). This song was written around 1933, by Alfred Ackley. He was responding to a student who had challenged him by asking why he should be worshipping a dead person. This bothered Ackley and he replied, “He lives! I tell you; he is not dead but lives here and now! I can prove it by my own experience, as well as the testimony of countless thousands.”

After resurrection Jesus continued to appear to his followers, but they didn’t recognize him immediately:

-Mary mistook Jesus for a gardener (John 20 :15).

-The disciples in the locked room thought he was a ghost (Luke 24:37).

-Thomas said, "Unless I see the mark of the nails and put my finger on those marks, I will not believe." (John 20:25)

-The two followers on the road to Emmaus thought he was just a traveling stranger (Luke 24:18).

After what happened on Good Friday, death was too final for them. Sorrow, grief, fear, doubts, and despair weighed heavily on them. They didn’t expect Jesus to resurrect.

Jesus joined the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, but they didn’t recognize him. They thought he was a stranger in Jerusalem. Jesus took this opportunity to interpret to them the scriptures and showed them how the prophecies had been written about him. He showed them how his death was part of God’s redeeming plan. A story characterized by Chaos and hopelessness turned out to be a life-changing, life-giving event that empowered them. It is amazing how God can create good even out of Chaos like the one of Good Friday.

Do we have stories of our lives that seem to be characterized by Chaos and hopelessness?

While at the dinner table; Jesus took bread, he gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them. Immediately they recognized him as the risen Christ. He was no longer a stranger. He was the Lord walking and talking with them in their sorrow, fear and doubts.

The Emmaus Road can be both a literal road and a spiritual journey.

-It can be the road we walk when we find ourselves dealing with all kinds of problems.

-It can be a road we struggle with in issues of war and finding peace.

- It can be a road we experience when we lose a loved one.

-It can be the road of doubts and fear as we ask what will happen.



Some of us may be walking that very road today. The Good news is that we are not alone on Emmaus Road. Christ always joins us on that road. We might not recognize him immediately but like the disciples who recognized him in the breaking of the bread, we also know that Jesus is with us.

Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and talks with me
Along life’s narrow way. He lives, He lives, Salvation to impart!

You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart



Pastor Harun

03/26/2026

Crossroad/Trinity Weekly Devotion: The Triumphant Entry 3-26-2026

Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord (Mark 11:9)



We are still in the season of Lent, and this Sunday we enter Holy Week by celebrating Palm Sunday. It is a day that reminds us of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey.



As Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds gathered with excitement. They spread their cloaks on the road, waved palm branches, and shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” The word Hosanna means “Save us now”. The moment was filled with hope and celebration. The long-awaited King had finally come.



But this was no ordinary king. He did not arrive on a warhorse, but on a donkey which was symbolic of peace. He did not come to overthrow nations, but to transform hearts. The people were hoping for deliverance from Roman oppression, but they did not yet understand that His victory would come through sacrifice.



Palm Sunday reminds us how easy it is to praise Jesus when things look hopeful, yet struggle to follow Him when the path leads to the cross. The same crowd that shouted “Hosanna” would soon grow quiet. On Good Friday some would shout, “Crucify Him”.



As we step into Holy Week, we are invited to examine our own hearts. Do we welcome Jesus only when He meets our expectations? Or are we willing to follow Him in humility, surrender, and sacrificial love?



Jesus still comes to us today, not in force, but in peace. He comes gently, inviting us to trust Him, to lay down our burdens, and to follow Him on the road that leads through the cross to new life. May you have a meaningful Palm Sunday and a blessed Holy Week.



Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are the humble King who came in peace. Help us to trust you and to follow you. Teach us to walk in Your ways, even when it is difficult. Amen.



Harun